PROVIDENCE – “Ghostwriter” began filming April 25 at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, a 200-acre studio complex and former World War II aircraft factory and airfield outside London. Production moved in June to Scotland, on location in Edinburgh and Glasgow, where streets were decorated to look like a futuristic New York City, according to reports in the Scottish press.
On Aug. 18, about a week after notices went up on several Providence streets warning that an unnamed Warner Bros. Pictures movie would shoot scenes in the city, director J.J. Abrams began filming in Providence, East Providence, Cranston and Warwick, using iconic locations including the Providence Performing Arts Center, Olneyville N.Y. System restaurant and the East Bay Bike Path before wrapping in the early hours of Aug. 25 after an all-night shoot on the Point Street Bridge.
Here is what The Providence Journal gleaned from hanging out at “Ghostwriter” filming locations:
You won’t be able to see ‘Ghostwriter’ in theaters
Or anywhere else, for that matter. That’s because “Ghostwriter” is only the working title of the movie, and no one on-set said they expected it to have that name when the film is released.
In fact, one online report suggests that the film’s title will be “Providence,” but the report doesn’t cite a source or even treat the mention as if it’s news.
That wasn’t Jenna Ortega on Federal Hill
Glen Powell and an unidentified actress perform a scene for J.J. Abrams’ “Ghostwriter” on Lily Street in Providence on Aug. 20.
The worst-kept secret on-set, though never publicly confirmed, was that the actress who filmed a scene with star Glen Powell on Lily Street off Atwells Avenue on Federal Hill was a double for “Wednesday” star Jenna Ortega, who is said to be in “Ghostwriter,” but filmed scenes in the United Kingdom without coming to Rhode Island with the production.
Abrams and Powell were genuinely nice guys to fans
Director J.J. Abrams and actor Glen Powell were very approachable on set during breaks in filming. They frequently chatted with fans briefly and posed for or with them for photographs.
After filming on Lily Street on Providence’s Federal Hill on Aug. 20, actor Glen Powell posed for a photo with Nico Simone, left, and his sister, Bella Simone.
Why did ‘Ghostwriter’ come to Providence?
One question that still remains unanswered is why Abrams, after filming “Ghostwriter” for months in the United Kingdom, packed the production up and headed to Providence for a week in August, capturing scenes at iconic locations that seem to firmly anchor the story in Rhode Island.
“Ghostwriter” director J.J. Abrams indulged fan Patty Gavin-Berard by posing for a cell phone photo as he walked along Providence’s Benefit Street on Aug. 20 before filming scenes there.
One theory was that, because the plot involves a writer around whom strange things happen, Providence might have been chosen because of its association with two well-known writers of strange fiction: Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft. One “Ghostwriter” scene was even filmed along a stretch of Benefit Street that both authors frequented.
Then there’s the possibility, discussed above, that the movie will be released under the name “Providence,” which would require a local feel.
And there’s another connection between Abrams and Providence:
According to LinkedIn, Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions has a vice president named Elizabeth Rothman. Elizabeth Rothman is listed in the Internet Movie Database as executive producer of “Ghostwriter.” And Elizabeth Rothman was a 2011 bachelor’s degree recipient at Brown University.
The Providence Journal has reached out to Rothman at Bad Robot.
How many Olneyville N.Y. System hot wieners does it take to make a J.J. Abrams movie?
Actor Glen Powell, right, crosses the Point Street Bridge with two companions in the final scene that J.J. Abrams filmed for “Ghostwriter” in Providence before wrapping early on Aug. 25.
The short answer is: at least 50.
It is well-known that Abrams filmed Aug. 21 at the iconic hot dog restaurant. Greg Stevens, former owner and now consultant to the Plainfield Street restaurant, told a reporter before filming began that the production had told him to be ready to prepare hot wieners during filming. It’s not publicly known how many wieners might have been used that night.
But, during the overnight filming of Aug. 24 to Aug. 25 on the Point Street Bridge, an actor accompanying star Glen Powell could clearly be seen carrying a bag from the iconic restaurant in one hand and a hot wiener in the other.
Stevens confirmed that the production had ordered 20 hot wieners on Aug. 24, and then got another 30 shortly after midnight.
It’s unclear whether that second batch was for on-camera use or whether the movie crew just had the midnight munchies.
What’s ‘Ghostwriter’ about?
A basic plot summary could be cobbled together from various tidbits gathered at the set during the week that Abrams filmed in and around Providence. If all those scraps prove true, the plot will look something like this:
First, it appears that audiences will come away with the impression that the movie mostly takes place in Providence, though some of the action happens in an imaginary world.
The story centers on the character played by Glen Powell. He lives and works in Providence, probably residing at the Benefit Street apartment where Powell was filmed Aug. 20. He has a girlfriend, played by Jenna Ortega, who lives on Federal Hill.
Actor Glen Powell, center, waits to perform a scene in Providence’s Olneyville N.Y. System on Aug. 21 while director J.J. Abrams, left, discusses his movie “Ghostwriter.”
At some point, Powell’s character and some friends go for a night out that includes a stop at Olneyville N.Y. System before walking across the Point Street Bridge.
Some complications arise in his life, and, for reasons not clear now, he seeks out a science-fiction/fantasy author, played by Samuel L. Jackson, who lives on a nearby estate, whose gate was filmed at the Aldrich Mansion in Warwick on Aug. 20.
Powell’s character is transported to the imaginary world invented by the author and must try to get back to Providence.
It’s unclear how the Cranston comic book store where Powell filmed on Tuesday, Aug. 19, or all the bike riding he was filmed doing, fit into the story. Also unclear is the role of Emma Mackey, who is said to star in the movie with Jackson, Powell and Ortega, and who was photographed on-set with Powell during filming in Glasgow, Scotland.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Inside info gleaned when J.J. Abrams filmed ‘Ghostwriter’ in RI
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’
